University of Minnesota Athletics
Warm-Up Lap: Q&A with Taylor Wiebke
3/27/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
MINNEAPOLIS -- Mantorville, Minn., native Taylor Wiebke is already leading the Big Ten in the high jump after winning the event at the Bulls Invitational over spring break with a mark of 1.80m (5-10.75).
Not only does she have the best mark in the conference, but she is also tied for third among all NCAA high jumpers and has moved into a tie for second on Minnesota's all-time top-10 list. During the 2017 indoor season, Wiebke finished third in the high jump at the Big Ten Indoor Championship and won high jump titles at the Minnesota Open and Parents Day Invite.
Gophersports.com sat down with the sophomore to talk about her first Big Ten Conference Field Athlete of the Week award, the team's spring break training trip, what she is looking forward to this outdoor season, and more.
Gopher Sports: How did the 2017 indoor season go for you?
Taylor Wiebke: It went really well, better than I expected. I had goals set to jump 5-09.00 at every meet because I know I am capable of jumping that and I think I stuck to that pretty well. There were a few times where I didn't reach it, but technically I was still in a good position. Even if I didn't get the height, I still did something well, so I found positives in everything and I think that helped a lot. I was happy with how I handled the season and how it turned out.
GS: How was the spring break training trip?
TW: It was hard, but it was good; it was a good balance. Last year the high jumpers had three days off and it was more of a recovery type trip, and this year we definitely grinded pretty hard. It was good for me because it turned out to help me jump really well. It was nice to see that, even after working that hard, I could still jump well. So I'm excited to see what it is like when we have a down week before the meet and to see if I can jump any higher next time.
GS: Did you and the team do anything fun while you were in Tampa?
TW: We got to go to the beach for the first day and were there almost all day. It was nice to be there in the nice weather; we got a little burnt but it was okay. We also volunteered at a community center and we played basketball, volleyball, and kickball with some kids for a few hours. Otherwise we could walk outside around our hotel, or we could use our free time to swim and just hang out.
GS: Your previous collegiate-best mark from last outdoor season was 1.71m and you just cleared 1.80m at the Bulls Invitational. How does that feel and what have you done to improve? Have you made any changes to your technique?
TW: Obviously I was very excited about it. I wasn't necessarily expecting to jump 1.80m this year. Last year I think I jumped a little poorly because we were changing my approach between the indoor and outdoor season. Now I am working on that same approach, and I feel that I have improved a lot on it, so I don't think we will be making any drastic changes to it moving forward. I'm going to stick to what I'm doing and work on improving my speed.
GS: What are some goals you have set for yourself for the outdoor season?
TW: I'm still working on that. The spring break meet threw me off a little bit because I was not expecting to jump 1.80m, and that has always been my goal since coming to college. I'd say I would love to have a podium finish outdoors at Big Tens like I did at indoors; that is a big goal of mine. Again I would say jumping consistently at 1.76m-1.78m, making that bar every time, and attempting 1.80m again. I'd like to get another meet in before I judge how I see myself doing the rest of the season.
GS: Have you thought about how close you are to the high jump school record?
TW: That is also in the back of my head; I'd love to be able to do that. I know I am capable of it, but I need to wait for everything to line up. That's the thing with high jump -- you can have four out of five things perfect, but if that one thing's not great then you aren't going to make the bar. I think on a day where I can get everything to line up I can get that bar. I'm not sure if that would be a short-term or long-term goal, but by the end of my career here I want to have the school record.
GS: You were named Big Ten Conference Field Athlete of the Week last week. How does it feel to receive an award like that?
TW: Awesome! I wasn't expecting that either. I feel really blessed because it is one thing after the other right now. I took third at Big Tens indoors, I jumped 1.80m, and then I got the honor of being the field athlete of the week so I have been on cloud nine recently. Everything is just rolling really smoothly, so I think I am going to take that as momentum. It's going to motivate me to keep performing like that because it feels good to have all these honors, and I want to keep doing good things for my team and coaches.
GS: How have you grown as a teammate and an athlete since your freshman season?
TW: Last year I lacked confidence; my coach had to convince me that I am good enough to be here, and this year I think I have gained a lot more confidence and I am starting to realize that I can compete with the top dogs more. Last year as a freshman I got to travel with the team, and I feel that it helped me because I was able to get to know the team better. This year I have become a lot closer friendship-wise with them. We are doing some sport psychology things with the throws and high jump group, and that is helping us learn what people want and what helps people. That has helped us become a lot closer as teammates and has helped us become stronger.
GS: Right now you have the best mark in the conference and are tied for third among all NCAA high jumpers, what do you do and need to do to keep yourself at the top and at this level of competition?
TW: I always just listen to what my coach says. I trust everything he tells me to do, and that has been helping me a lot. In practice, if something is frustrating me I always go with the process and continue doing what I know I need to do, even though it is hard. I have been really working on improving my nutrition, which was a change from last year because living in the dorms and eating at the dining halls isn't the best environment for good nutrition. Along with nutrition, I have been working on making other aspects of my life well-rounded, like sleep and keeping on top of everything, which has helped me become better on the track.
GS: You enjoy listening to music and going to concerts, do you have any favorite genres, artists, or concerts you have been to?
TW: The National is my favorite band. I recently went to a show where The Graveyard Club was performing; they are very new, but they were amazing. I am excited to see how big they get because I got to meet with the artists and band members, which was very cool, I'm still pretty hyped that I got to see them live. I love live music, even if it may not be my taste. My favorite genre would probably be indie/alternative.
GS: What is it like having your older brother, Derek, on the men's track & field team? Did he help you with your transition to college? How do you two motivate each other?
TW: We do motivate each other. When he won Big Tens in the mile, I was like, 'Well geez, I want to medal, do well, and be the other Wiebke.' When one of us does well, the other wants to do well, too, but I don't think we want to beat each other or be better than each other. Outside of track, I don't know what I would do without him here. He is very helpful, a great leader, and my second academic advisor. Over spring break, he helped put together a schedule of all the classes I want to take next year. He's awesome; we are best friends.
GS: What was going through your head on your last attempt at clearing 1.80m at the Bulls Invitational?
TW: The third attempt always stinks because I feel like after two tries, I usually already start shutting down. At that point, I'm usually thinking, 'Well, you have missed two, so how are you going to make the third?' My thought process at that meet was different. I had not made that bar since my junior year in high school, and it's been awhile since I had jumped that high. I told myself that this was my moment; I really wouldn't let myself not make it. I convinced myself that I was going to make that bar. I wanted it so bad, so I shut out the negative thoughts about the third attempt and told myself I could do it.
Wiebke and the Gophers are back in action this weekend at the UCLA Legends Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
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Players Mentioned
